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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Ban mining in Western Ghats: Panel by Nitin Sethi

Ban mining in Western Ghats: Panel by Nitin Sethi

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published Published on Mar 8, 2012   modified Modified on Mar 8, 2012

In what could dramatically alter economic activity in almost 45 districts across five states - Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu - and the entire state of Goa, a panel of the Union environment ministry has recommended that mining and industrial growth be banned in more than 80 revenue blocks and strictly regulated in another 75-odd revenue blocks or talukas. 

It also recommended a large set of regulations on other aspects of regional economy including agriculture, infrastructure and forestry for the region. 

The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), set up by the environment ministry last year, has submitted a detailed report recommending that the entire Western Ghats area be declared "Ecologically Sensitive Area" with varying degrees of restrictions on economic activity across the identified talukas. It has recommended that development in the region should be regulated by a super-body - Western Ghats Ecology Authority - under the Environment Protection Act, with regional sub-authorities of similar nature. The report was submitted to the government a while back but the massive implications for several states forced the environment ministry to keep the report under wraps even though it was sent it to the state governments for their reaction. 

Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) are declared under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and it allows a single authority to regulate the land use policy and all development activity in a region under the powerful Act to protect environment. 

The panel has suggested three levels of ESA with varying degrees of regulation though it said these should be finetuned with local consultations. It suggested that about 80 talukas across the states should fall under strictest control category ESA1 where no mining should be permitted and existing mining projects should be phased out in five years. New polluting industry, such as coal power plants, shouldn't be permitted and existing industry should be forced to 'zero pollution' in five years and regulated strictly. 

For agriculture it has recommended that all chemical fertilizer-based agriculture should be converted to organic agriculture in 5 years. A strict regulation of infrastructure projects like roads is also recommended along with a stringent land use policy preventing changes of agriculture land to non-agriculture use (with some exceptions). 

The second category of ESA - ESA2 - which it recommends should cover areas in about 75 talukas disallows any new mining but permits existing licenses with firm restrictions. A ban on new polluting industry is suggested for this zone as well though existing polluting industries can continue with regulations, the panel experts has suggested. 

The Times of India, 8 March, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Ban-mining-in-Western-Ghats-Panel/articleshow/12181044.cms


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